How to Tell if Your Dog is Pregnant?

Dave|Xoxide

Looking through our site statistics I've noticed that this phrase is searched for a lot on the site:

How to tell if your dog is pregnant

Dog pregnancy is a very serious issue. It's something that a lot of people struggle with figuring out, and if 'diagnosed' incorrectly by an owner, could be harmful to the dog. In conjunction with this people typically want to know how to care for a pregnant dog, what to feed them, if and how their behavior changes, etc. I think it'd be great to have some additional information on how to tell if your dog is pregnant so that those searching find something useful

All comments are appreciated!

Curbside Prophet

Unfortunately, there is no clear visual way to tell if your dog is pregnant, unless you are very experienced...especially early on in the pregnancy. Thus, it's best to take your dog to a vet if there is any question. That can probably go without saying. Or, if you're a new pup owner you could have your dog spayed before her first cycle, and remove all doubt or future worries. The last time I saw a dog give birth, I was five years old...so care tips, during and after pregancy, I don't have.

jzrith

The only reasonable thing to do in my opinion is to go to your vet and take it for tests. I heard about taking an ultra-sound, but I don't know what an ultra-sound is.. If it looks pregnant (size) then it probably is pregnant. But until you're sure, don't go to your vet yet because it will cost lots of money. I'd look on Google as well and find sites that give you actual info.

Alpha

IMO, if your dog is pregnant it should be because it's been bred and you want puppies.

Otherwise you dog should be spayed. There is less risk of mammory cancer and you don't have to deal with a bitch in heat.

Spay/Neuter your pet!

But back on topic, as Prophet said it's very hard for even the experienced breeder to tell. My trainer, breeds her dogs, and they go in for ultrasounds afew weeks later. Although sometimes you can tell when they get pudgy in tuck.

tirluc

as mentioned by Alpha, if your dog is pregnant it should be a planned breeding and should ONLY be done to improve the BREED of dog that you are breeding (please spay and neuter any mixes and purebreds that will not help to keep the breed strong: and test for any and all genetic problems that might be there and can be checked for)

but, just because a dog puts on weight, gets pudgy, produces milk, nests, etc. you still are not positive that they are pregnant (false pregnancies) w/out doing an ultra sound at about 3 wks in and i HIGHLY recommend at about 6 wks as well, as i have heard of instances where nothing was found early on but then the bitch has pups....every owner should be TOTALLY aware of when their bitch was in season (which lasts for 3 wks) and around the 2nd wk (not put in concrete) they will accept the male (this for the people that don't know; not trying to be a "know it all", folks)......when a bitch is in heat please--KEEP HER LOCKED UP AND UNDER SUPERVISION......

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sheplovr

I plan my breedings of one or two a year and I can tell two weeks after the tie she took. I just delivered nine beauties West German Shepherds on Wed after midnight to seven thirty a.m the 24th. All are fine and will be one week tomorrow. So sweet.

dogluver101

We rescued our schnauzer from a puppy mill because the lady said she would not breed and three days later she gave birth to two puppies. She is fixed of course but I have no clue how to tell that she was pregnant. She wasn't that fat.

tiffsdoggiedelights

Well, Lady was bred last year for the first time (planned, of course) and she showed all signs of being pregnant, weight gain, enlarged nipples, temperment change and the swelling didn't go down after the breeding. We prepared for the little ones arrival. She had experienced a false pregnancy and when her due date came, she lost the weight and went back to normal. To find out, the male (which is owned by my in-laws and I picked him out) could not produce. I have waited a year to try again and have just bred her with Copper this weekend and hope to have puppies this time. We will do an x-ray about a week before her due date to see if and how many little ones we will have. This proves that all the signs can mean a false pregnancy as well.

Tiff

sheltieluver

Again, referring to my "Dog Bible" as I am learning to become a dog trainer..."signs of pregnancy include enlarged nipples, a slightly swollen vulva, increased appetite and a cranky or demanding personality. An ultrasound can confirm a pregnancy as early as 18 to 25 days."

Slashmire

Well that's all good things to know; somehow, we always think that it'll be 'easy' to tell...but it never ends up being that way.

3dogsplus

Knowing if a dog is pregnant is difficult for even the experts at times. An ultrasound at 21 days is a good practive as they should be able to see heart beats at that time. But...if you have a big dog with one pup, that pup could be hiding behind the spleen or the ribs. Therefore, if the ultrasound is negative, see if they will repeat it (hopefully at a discount if not free) at 30-35 days. If the ultrasound is negative at this time, she probably isnot pregnant.

jimgissy

Hello all. I read all the post about a dog being pregnant and still have questions. I had my boxer breed between 1 August and 4 August about 6 days after we first noticed blood. I was wondering if I breed her too early, but the breeder said she wouldn't take if it was to early. He said that they locked up eight times and that she should be pregnant because his stud has never missed.
However, at what was believed to be day 32 from the first breeding I took her to the vet for a blood test, which came back negative. The vet said that the test is 100% accurate at day 32 which would have been from the 1st of Aug and 90% accurate at day 28, which would have been from the 4th. So he said more than likely she is not pregnant. First of all how accurate is the test because 90 and 100% seems pretty far fetched. Does anyone have experience whith the blood test?
She has displayed all the signs of pregnancy i.e. wight gain (9lbs), teet enlargement, eating like a horse,temperment change, sleeping all day long, swollen vulva still, grunting all the time, not letting anyone touch her belly except me.
I have spent a lot of money to have her breed and for the various test on her to make sure she was healthy so is there any other way to tell if she is pregnant now at home?
I also have heard that sperm can live in the bitches uterus for a week, so can she actually be a week earlier than we all thought?
I am really baffled about this false pregnancy thing because of her previous heats, she has never experienced a false pregnancy. I have also heard about a stethascope and listening for the puppies, at what day can I hear this, what does it sound like, and where do I listen?
Thank you for the help.
Jim

jimgissy

Okay, well I didn't get any answers from the thread, but this website guided me to another site that was very helpful. I thought I had searched them all but I guess not.
Anyway the last few days there has been a lot of movement in Roxy's side and we weren't sure if it was bowels or a puppy. Well last night conformation came.....heartbeats!!!! We heard at least two with a stethascope. She is anywhere from 3 to 9 days from delivery, we are all so excited. So the really accurate blood test that was 90 to 100% accurate, wasn't that accurate. Now we just sit and wait a couple more days. We went from dissapointment to excitement. Hip Hip Hooray!

holly's best friend

my Dog has got a very hard tummy and it is bigger than usual + she keeps going to hide in a hole under sum paving slabs, could she be trying to make a nest? + she has grown alot of hair o n her tummy i wunder if it natural and if they pull it out to make the nest as well?.
and her nipples are larger than normal. she is also drinking more than normal.
she finished her last season begining of august and we have just noticed this change, we have a male boarder terrior but he would have been 7 month old, is this to young?
thanks
h b f

tomeno

I have a Bassett hound and she has a saggy belly and her nipples are getting a little bigger. Could she be pregnant? HELP!!!!!!

diggitydog

An ultrasound can detect pregnancy at 30 days. Radiographs can detect pregnancy at 45 days.

cshellenberger

The quickest way to tell if the dog is pregnant is to take the dog to a vet and have blood drawn. It is VERY important to do this as sometimes what you may think is a pregnancy is a closed Pyometria, which can of cousre kill the bitch and is an automatic spay. Blood can be drawn at three weeks after the breeding takes place, whitch is why a planned breeding is best, so you can estimate the due date and keep track of how the pregnancy is progressing.

The mom to be should be given puppy food, preferably from the time of the breeding to maximize the nutrition to the pups, she should be taken to the vets every couple of weeks for check ups and certain breeds should have a Csection scheduled as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed or, if there is a small litter as the pups are often too large to pass through the pelvis. A whelping box should be purchased or built for the mom and plenty of warm blankets and newspaper collected for lining the box (NO color print). Bottles should be purchased along with either goats milk or puppy formula in case of emergency and a heating pad should be on hand as well.

If the bitch is to be free whelped, you should have someone experienced on call to help if you've never done it. You should also have your vet on call in case of an emergency.

sobreeze

Dogs should only be bred by breeders that have done all the tests that are required by that breed . Now that is in a perfect world we dont live there .I know sometimes its hard to tell on dogs the dont realy show till the pups are born . but if you bred on purpose you would be watching and ready for pups any way . now as hard as dogs are to tell donkeys the minis are even harder to tell they carry there foals from 11 1/2 to 13 months and that is normal and sometime they look in foal sometimes not and ultrasounds dont work good and they are to small to do a plevic so you just got to wait and wait and watch.
but if the world was perfect we wouldnt have people with dogs asking if my dog could be having pups. and we would not have unwanted pups at all . boy that would be great .

Shalva

thanks for saying it..... why are there all these intact bitches out there. If you need to ask these questions then you shouldn't have an intact dog and you shouldn't be breeding..... folks should be doing their homework PRIOR to breeding their dog.... not to mention showing or doing performance events to make their dog proove they are worth breeding and contributing to the gene pool..... and what about health clearances folks..... this is nutty......
S

Shining Waters Goldens

We have had many instances in which our girls grew bellies and ended up not being pregnant. Right now our Sammie might be seven weeks pregnant and we are going to bring her in for xrays tomorrow. Jeez...

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